I find computer games to be a great way to relax, as well shaking up your brain and forcing it to think a different way. I’ve got a Wii and PS2, plus I play the occassional PC game (I still love Civilization 2!) and I don’t play them as often as I like, but I find that nowadays I don’t have time to do anything as much as I’d like to, especially working on my site and writing articles/entries.

It will be interesting to see if the non-gamers attitudes will shift now that games are becoming more mainstream and more acceptable as mainstream entertainment. As you said, the industry is booming and overtaking movies as the highest-valued entertainment sector, so maybe these business-minded people are missing a trick and should be looking in that direction for an opportunity.

Yes, I have polarized the two categories.. but not as much as you may think.

For a start, a lot of my contacts are 7+ figure earners, so are extreme in many ways.

Dean

For starters, anything done in excess is a waste of time. Too much TV, too many video games, or too much talk about business and money.

But I think whether its video games, movies, reading books, studying business models or trying to reverse engineer product launches — any of these can be valuable, fun and creatively energizing passtimes, worth pursuing in healthly quantities.

I’m like RyanAJarrett in that I love video games, but find that I basically don’t have the time for them. But as I draw nearer to my own version of the “4 hour workweek” I believe I’ll be integrating more gaming back into my life, and will consider it valuable shared-activity time with my daughter (who’s now 6).

Great post, Dean!

…jp

That is exactly why I wanted to write this piece. I have had a similar response when I mention certain games…

And for the record, you have a point.

But surely we all need to switch off from time to time?

Do you watch TV? aimlessly surf the Internet? etc…

I know for me personally it helps relax me… whereas TV doesn’t. I suppose it also stimulates my head more than TV as well.

Don’t get me wrong, I am NOT saying that video games make you smarter… although there is research out there that suggests it does… I am just curious to hear other sides of this.

Many thanks,

Dean

Couldn’t agree more.

For the record, I am not trying to find a right answer here, I am not sure one exists. Instead, I am raising the points of whether entrepreneurs should be avoiding video games? And whether certain types of entrepreneurs and video gaming go hand in hand?

Dean

they do relieve a good amount of stress.

For the last few years, I haven’t played them much. I relax now by going to the movies or just playing with my bunny rabbit.

big jason

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAe6VcaHGaA

Never feel guilty about what works for you……
Everyone is different. Actually I cannot work in a clean environment, if I don’t have clutter around me, I will make clutter, I feel more comfy in a mess, Hey it works for me. My kids ask me why I don’t get organized, or clean house. I find that is not me, and if I try to change for someone I get frustrated and unhappy. I am also a procrastinator and I actually work best at the last minute. I can never plan anything very far in advance, last minute is my adrenaline rush. So whatever works for you that is what you must do.

I know Joel personally and professionally, so I will add him to my list of entrepreneurs who like gaming

When i was younger i used to play video games, and i enjoyed so much that i had to stop playing them. Recently i joined a business where where the product is a mix between video games and social networks, so i restarted playing them, mixing entrepeneurship and fun. I also do not identify totaly with none of these two types. I am a mix beetween the two. I don´t think that there is a conection at all, since both types, enjoy games.

Rui Martinho

I really did enjoy the old “non movement” Myst, though.

I never bother with video games (not since having a Spectrum computer) - they are a waste of time to me.

But cycling across India for charity sounds like fun:-)

Matthew

I LOVE VIDEO GAMES. (GTA IV is the mac daddy)

And yes, I waste time on them at times I shouldn’t. I’m human. Humans are self destructive at times, just look at global warming.

Productivity is a choice. When I choose to be productive, I make a hell of a lot more money.

There were a lot of “I’s” in that comment.

Guess I am a type A creative, I would rather do crayon drawings or watch old Bugs Bunny cartoons with my daughter.

Before I went full-time I used to love playing games, but for some reason during the next 5 years I just never seemed to have the time to, so I just forgot about them.

Then about 6 months ago I suddenly realized that I had almost zero downtime and immediately decided to do something about it, bought a PS3 and now I schedule in at least 2 hours a day on it.

Best business decision I’ve made in years.

Now all I have to do is convince my accountant it and the games are tax-deductible

Speaking of which, I’m off for another bout of Metal Gear Online.

@Dustin, you’re not wrong about GTA IV - one word = WOW!

Cheers

Nick

if plans are set that I am only going to play for a couple of hours or it is in the schedule…then it will work…you can always do the pain/reward thing… like if I get this done then I will play some games…if I don’t then I will not play…it is no different from playing in a softball beer league or something.

again great post

Great post!

P.S. I’m doing studying on different frums and about to put a good one together on my free site, maybe it will grow(at least to the point that i can get a url redirect to it).

The patterns we learn as kids, “naturalise” us for later life. I think this is scariererer.